A/N: I should have gotten to some other stories, but this one is really pushing me right now to write lol. I couldn't stop, so here it is. Thank you to wicked jade (thank you! I definitely wanted to make Faison a little more aware of Anna's game. Especially since I never really understood why he was okay with Robert's constant presence and never questioned Anna's closeness to Robert while they were engaged; those two guys hated each other lol), 4gcrazyme (what an interesting observation! Going back, you really see how controlling Faison is… just the number of times he demands that Anna drink champagne or alcohol she doesn't want to drink. It's a little thing, but it certainly reflects some control issues), saint2sinner (as dirty as you feel reading it, I feel writing it lol.), and Pound68 (Glad you like Shep and Kate! I'm having fun with them. And as for Anna and Faison, I completely agree. But there are times when I think that she was deliberately being difficult because he was attracted by her resistance. And then, of course, you have the threat to her life, which I suppose is why he moved so quickly. In this, I'm going to give Faison a better reason to trust her, but that's all I'll say (; ). Emotionally, this is going to be an important chapter, hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 21:

"I feel we have become so much closer …it's only the beginning. I have so much more to tell you."

Anna stared at the darkened ceiling, thinking of his face—that hopeful expression.

"I know you haven't committed yourself completely to me yet, but um, it will be much better once we're in Monte Carlo together, alone."

She didn't blink and her eyes began to water …or perhaps she was crying? She did blink then and she felt the wetness escape and race down her cheek.

"I really …admire everything that you've done, I do."

"Do you?"

His eyes, his smile …his words that brought about the deaths of so many men were all she could think about. When he touched her…

"There must be …people that you—"

"No, I don't miss anything of my former life. Nothing. …Can I stay with you tonight, Anna?"

What could she do, to convince him to trust her? There were the obvious things.

"No. You can't."

She would never. She could never. But she was so alone as well. She had never missed Duke more, no—

She had never missed Robert more.

And he was going to take Robert away, wasn't he?

"It is a matter of what you must do."

She could have never begged him not to. Not then and not now, the game was still the same as it had ever been. She had put a target on Robert's back thirteen years ago, unknowingly and that target would never go away unless someone was dead.

That was the truth she was refusing to face.

"It's a matter of what you must do."

She deserved it, then. She gave herself to Robert Scorpio and that one act had set them on this path and chained him into this evil that was never for him, a choice made when he hadn't known hers.

And he still loved her; why did he still love her?

Crying in the dark, she knew she had never wanted a man more completely and wholly than she had wanted Robert. He was hers and he was everything, but all she had brought him was pain.

Why did he still love her?

"It is a matter of what you must do."

How could she make him stop?

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"She enjoys it, Robert."

He couldn't move from his spot, right near to her as Faison kissed her neck. His rage was overwhelming—Anna, how he hated her! Radiant, impossible Anna…

She looked over Faison's shoulder, at Robert, and their eyes met. It felt like the first time he had ever met her and she made his mouth go dry. What was she doing to him?

Sean patted his shoulder. "I never told you this, but Anna was the traitor all along. I knew, I just couldn't lose you both. But now I know, she was already lost… to him."

Faison's fingers were creeping under the strap of her dress, moving it off her shoulders and he wanted to crush those fingers!

"She loved me!" Robert said, but it sounded strangled to his own ears. Sean sighed, speaking like he would have spoken to Robin when she was seven and didn't understand something.

"You couldn't save her, Robert. Sparing her that once was never going to make it all go away. I knew you wouldn't get it, that's why I never told you."

Now he was—God, no—they were… he was pushing her onto a bed and she was going willingly. Robert turned away, ready to run away before he killed them both, filled with murderous rage. He had to get out of there.

He made his way out the door, down the stairs and then his vision was clouded by smoke. He coughed, his lungs suddenly struggling against dry heat.

"Sean?"

The house was burning down! Flames licked at his sides and he spun back towards the stairs. Anna was up there! She was going to die if he didn't—

"Is that what you really want to do?" Sean asked. His arm was wrapped around the bannister, not seeming to notice the fire or the smoky haze as he watched Robert with more insight than he had any right to possess. "Really? Making the same mistake over and over again? And for what?"

"For her," Robert cracked. "She—"

"She's an amazing agent, Robert." Sean smiled. "And you? You're a great mark."

Robert woke up angry. Furious, actually. It took more than a moment to realize that it was not real. It was taking longer and longer to get to that place, every night. He ripped the covers off and clomped heavily down the stairs of the cottage, rubbing his eyes.

He didn't turn the lights on, he just didn't care to. He wanted it to be morning. He wanted to be free of this mess.

He wanted Anna.

She had loved him. He sat on the sofa and laid back with his eyes fixed above him, thinking about her face at Spoon Island when they spoke alone.

"I was scared." Her hands brushed his chest as if to assure herself that he would remain alive. She was crying. "…of what might happen to you."

He thought about her head tucked underneath his, so perfect there. Or when she danced with him, or for him.

"Not in front of an audience. Please."

Nervous and pretty and headstrong and he had never felt so possessive of anyone or anything else. He would have kept her forever if he could have. And best of all, she had loved him back. He didn't care what it cost him, clearly. Even when he thought that he did care, there was nothing strong enough to overpower what he felt for her. He did hate that that included his honor. But it was the truth.

He wouldn't sleep yet another night.

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Sean answered the door of his penthouse to Robert, standing there and fidgeting alone. The dark circles under his eyes were ever-more prominent. "Hey, good buddy."

"Tell me that you have something," Robert said, brushing past him. Sean turned and traced his path before he closed the door.

"Yeah, I know, you want our own informant before Anna gets in over her head. And I think I've got it for you."

When he rounded back toward the penthouse entrance, Anna was standing in the open doorway with a thunderous look on her face. He had been expecting her, but her timing couldn't have been worse. She had definitely heard the last words out of his mouth. Sean cringed. "Hey there."

She strode in and crossed her arms while he and Robert tried their best not to look guilty. The momentary silence was deafening. "So this is how it's going to be now? You two are all buddy-buddy and working to undermine me while I put myself on the line?!"

"We're not working against you, Anna," Sean said.

"Really?" Her gaze fell solely on Robert now. "Which is why you keep intervening? Or did you actually have a date with Shep Casey at Delafield's last night?"

"This guy is a murderer," Robert said, his voice already raised and losing his shame. "I'm not gonna apologize for checking up."

"What exactly do you think, Robert?" She went on as if she hadn't heard him. "That I can't handle Faison? Because I'm sure you can ask Sean if you have any doubts as to my ability to acquire intel from men like him!"

Robert turned red and clenched his fists, snorting. "Oh, 'acquiring intel', is it? And what's he 'acquiring' in the process?" Sean craned his head around at Robert, surprised by the vehemence and how there was something else in it—a tinge of naked pleading beneath the smart remark.

Anna, too upset to distinguish such a thing, started towards him and Sean jumped between them. This only put Sean back on her radar, of course. "And you," she accused, flinging a finger out at him, "you promised me that you would HELP! Not make this harder than it already is!"

"I am!"

Robert looked around Sean to her, his eyes shooting daggers. "So you went behind my back with Sean then, instead? I'm guessing when you two were on your little vacation?"

"The vacation you made me take because you could 'handle' it!" Anna threw back with sarcastic air quotes. Sean had his hands up as they both encroached on his space to get at each other.

"How about you both calm down?" he suggested heavily, and started pushing between them both in an attempt to back them up and lower the temperature, to no avail.

"I've been letting you call the shots, just like you demanded, but I'm through with it! You need to stay out of it, Robert!" Anna said. She pushed Sean's hand away thoughtlessly. "If you keep getting in the middle, Faison'll—"

"He'll WHAT?" Robert bellowed. "He'll WHAT?!"

Anna shook her head at Robert's sharp outburst, and stepped back as Sean jerked both of his palms out with one final push. "Alright, let's knock it off! What has gotten into you two?!"

"He has!" Anna declared snottily. "You know what I can do, Sean. Tell me, would you be letting him interfere if he were some other agent and not your best friend? Or if I were some other agent that had never been his wife?"

"That has nothing to do with—"

"Tell me, would you have taken that last assignment if I hadn't been your husband?" Robert shot back. "Funny how it's always good for you and never for anyone else!"

"Don't bring that up, Robert," Sean winced. "Let's stay in the 'now', okay?"

Sean hadn't been around them together since they had returned, but this was more out of control than it should be. He knew that they were both upset; he had expected some friction. He hadn't expected them to so quickly revert to using the past to injure each other. He found himself scrambling to referee their fight a day too late. And neither of them were interested in making peace.

"He can't stay in the 'now', Sean! That's his entire problem!"

"Whatever, Anna. You aren't even on the same football field anymore."

"You're saying that because you know that I'm right," Anna insisted. "Just stay out of it!"

"YOU'RE BOTH ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!" Sean yelled, and they both fell silent. "My God, who needs Cassandra Clark when the two of you can do all the work for her?! Just shut up and let me tell you what I found out and after you hear that, you can scream yourselves hoarse! Alright?!"

Chastened, neither of them said a thing, but Anna shifted and crossed her arms, looking towards him. "What do you think that you have?" she asked evenly.

He ignored the implication that he didn't have anything and dove in before the fireworks re-erupted. "Do you remember the Sheikh that visited here a few years ago?"

"In Port Charles?" Anna shook her head.

"No," Robert concurred.

"Well, he and Edward Quartermaine, they owned a diamond mine together," Sean was looking to Robert, trying to prompt some memory.

"Was that the person that Monica treated?"

"Exactly," Sean said. "Now, I heard the Sheikh tell Edward something once. He said 'a man will never believe in a ghost …until he sees one himself'. Catch my drift?"

"I think…" Robert said slowly.

Sean had to stop himself from beaming. "I checked into him on a hunch, and lo and behold…"

"He really had dealings with Faison?" Anna said. Her arms were still crossed and she was looking tired. Sean hadn't noticed before, but her attitude had left a lot to be desired even in spite of what she overheard. But he could tell when an agent was stressed and doing her damnedest not to show it, so he simply nodded.

"He really did."

Robert clapped his hands together. "So this could be our ticket. Now, how do we get him here?"

"Dawn's wedding?" Anna guessed softly.

"I'm gonna ask Monica to do us a favor with this one. It's short notice—"

"But it's the best-looking lead we've had in a while," Robert cut in, looking considerably more cheerful. That is, until he looked at Anna, who was staring into the distance.

"It's still a longshot…"

"Yeah, well, so is everything else," Robert snapped. "Including what you're trying to do."

His words broke Anna's spell and she was riveted to him. "That's not a longshot at all."

"It is to me."

"It's only that to you because we're not doing what you want to do. Not that you have a plan beyond shoving me out of it!"

"I'll have a plan that doesn't involve Cesar Faison taking you to Monte Carlo and doing God-knows-what with you!"

"Guys…" Sean warned them, sighing as they renewed the attack against each other.

"I don't see why you can't just pause that whole mess until after the wedding, alright? Until we see what this Sheikh has to say!"

"That's ridiculous, and you're only saying it because you can't help but make this personal!"

"I'm not making it personal, Anna, it just is!"

"No—"

"No! You're putting this on me, but the fact is what are you gonna do, Anna?! You know exactly what he wants!"

"Hey—" Sean made to raise his voice again, but Anna's sudden stillness stopped him.

"So what if I know what he wants?" Her voice had dropped below even her normal speaking voice, and it made the fight immediately cool to something worse. Sean almost saw the ice form in Anna's eyes and his stomach dropped as he suddenly felt that whatever she was going to say, he shouldn't be here to hear it. Robert's posture fell back, almost as if he were bracing, likely picking up the same thing that Sean did. An awful, slow smile appeared on her face and her eyes stayed on her ex-husband.

"So what? Is that the worst thing you can imagine, Robert? What? That I would sleep with him?"

Robert froze, but she wasn't finished.

"I suppose that it would have something to do with the mission, though, wouldn't it?" She pinned him with the frigid well of her gaze. "I'm not sure what your excuse was …but at least you covered the camera, right?"

Sean didn't know what the hell she was talking about, but he knew it was a comment that was far too private for him to have heard. And Robert looked as if she had slapped him, or worse.

"How could you say that?" Robert scraped out hollowly.

Robert was no longer looking at her, but Sean finally dared at the last moment, before she turned away, and saw her eyes about to brim over. There was a millisecond of heartbreak, that he hadn't seen since she had been in the hospital thirteen years ago with half her face bandaged. But then, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "I have to go. I have to pick up our daughter," she said carelessly to Robert. To Sean she said, "Please tell me how it turns out with Monica, so I know what to do next."

The door slammed shut a moment later.

"Are you okay?" Sean said tentatively, horribly embarrassed and not knowing quite why.

Robert didn't nod, but he did look up towards the door, where Anna had left. "She was trying to hurt me."

"And I'm guessing she landed," Sean said quietly, rubbing his arms.

"She's never…" Robert stopped himself abruptly and dropped his chin. He seemed to be still wondering and grasping as to what just happened. "Why would she say that?"

Sean rubbed his face. "Maybe you should ask her." The more he saw of Anna and Robert's tension, the less he wanted to be involved. It was increasing exponentially, by the day, and it was bound to overflow soon. "But Robert …whatever is going on, you two need to find a way to work together."

"Did you not hear her?! I don't think she's keen on working together!"

"Robert, c'mon. You aren't trying to help her!" Sean was too frustrated with them both not to just call out what the real problem was.

"You don't want her working Faison. It scares you and it stirs up old memories and hell, I'm almost positive that it's making you jealous."

Robert sighed hopelessly. Sean was understanding why Anna was so anxious about him now. It was almost as if Faison's threat had flipped a switch in him, provoking such a response that he was actively working against all of his WSB training. It handicapped Anna as well, which was crucially dangerous.

"If she's mad, it's because she does feel alone. If she ends up being our only chance, which is likely at this point …what are you going to do? Are you going to keep hindering her progress?"

The blonde agent spread his hands genuinely. "I don't know if I can watch."

"Robert. You have to suck it up," Sean said ruthlessly. "Bottom line: Anna is in the best position, she's not your wife, and it wouldn't matter if she was. Your feelings don't get a vote. Everything is on the line here!"

"You think I don't know that?! I just want my family safe, Sean. That's all I've wanted for months! And if this Sheikh thing doesn't work out…"

"It will."

"No, Anna was right," Robert smiled ruefully. "It's a longshot."

"And they sometimes pan out. You know."

"What I know…" Robert paced around Sean and sat on the couch, leaning forward and clasping his hands. He stared at the coffee table. "I could kill him myself."

"Could you?" Sean truly wanted to know. As an agent, Robert hadn't killed anyone for personal reasons. The Swede was the closest he had ever come. But his curiosity was pointless. "It doesn't even matter, because that isn't in the cards right now."

"Why not?" Robert muttered.

"Because if you go so far, then so will Faison. Not even Anna would be able to stop him, and he'll be able to say he was defending himself."

"And?"

"And let's just focus on the plans that we already have laid out before we starting hashing out a Plan C, alright? Are you gonna come with me to talk to Monica?"

Robert shook his head, standing up. "No. I think with all the articles and whatever else, it's probably better if you handle this alone. I don't want to distract with my presence. …And I've gotta go to the station and see if I can sort out some of the other big cases …or at least get started on fixing some of it."

Sean didn't like it, but he supposed that it was better than Robert blatantly ignoring all the bad press. He clapped him on the shoulder with a fake smile. "Good idea. I'll keep ya posted."

"Right." Robert wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. He looked completely lost as he left, and Sean wanted to throw something.

"Damnit!"

One week had gone by, and so much had seemed to change. But it hadn't, had it? He'd just been blind to the dangers—oh, not what the dangers were, but how perilously close his friends were to the edge already.

It occurred to Sean now that even if he had succeeded in breaking up Robert and Anna thirteen years ago in a way that kept them both within the WSB, the plan would have never actually worked. Looking at them now, falling in love had changed their course, and they were gone before he ever knew.

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Anna felt like she could have pounded on the walls, screaming, and no one would have noticed. Her mind was a cage that had no release for her, and it threw a wall up against the rest of the world. She barely heard Robin as she drove her to a sleepover. She tried; she didn't even think Robin noticed a difference. But if you had asked Anna what her daughter had spoken about the entire ride, she couldn't recall one syllable.

Bobbie and Felicia had insisted on going out with her to somewhere that wasn't Delafield's, and having dessert and a drink (Felicia abstaining, of course). Anna imagined that they wanted to grab the bull by the horns and make a statement that the trashy tabloids and gossip rags were printing lies.

Anna had to be out and about, everything was fine and good.

There was no trouble with her ex-husband, the Police Commissioner, at all.

Felicia knew certain things. Bobbie, however, was in the dark. And every time Anna looked at her, she only saw another dear friend that she was having to lie to. Her smile was tight, she was distracted, and she drank just a little too much.

She wasn't drunk when she returned home; far from it. But she was feeling warm and was glad that Robin was enjoying her time with friends and Anna had the house to herself. Or at least, Anna had thought she would have the house to herself…

Her heart beat a little faster when she realized he was there. "Robert."

He was sitting on the sofa, not even turning his head toward her. "Expecting someone else?"

"Robin is—"

"I know where Robin is."

"Then…" it was on the tip of her tongue to ask why, why was he here? But then, she didn't want to know the answer. And she already knew the answer.

She walked past him, past the living room. She went to her bedroom.

He got up and followed.

"Get out, Robert."

He closed the door. "Is that on the same hit list as 'Leave me alone, Robert'?"

"What do you want?" she cried. She hadn't meant to lose it so quickly, but it was Robert. He wasn't Faison, he wasn't Sean or Katherine or Frisco or Bobbie or Robin. She didn't believe that she could take it any longer, and she would have to take it for so much longer. Why did the one person who was her safety have to be ripped away?

"What do I want?" he blasted. "How about an explanation?!"

"Of what!"

"Of what happened at Sean's, Anna! About what you said!"

"Nothing I said requires an explanation, Robert. You can see yourself out."

"I'm not going anywhere."

A couple drinks may have left her bolder, she didn't know. But she lifted her chin and went for the buttons on her dress, beginning at the one below her neck. "Stay if you like, but I'm going to bed."

"Stop it!" His hand wrenched hers away from her clothing and gave it a shake. "Stop it. Are you trying to torture me?!"

The give in his voice made her reconsider it. She had been about to make a comment about his lack of control—about something she never really meant, but would say, if it kept him safe and if he stayed away from Faison. But she couldn't do it with him sounding so on the verge of brokenness. She could tell he wasn't sleeping. The idea of causing him pain was excruciating to her.

The idea of him dead or harmed because of her was worse.

"I'm not," she choked, stepping out of his grip. "But I …really think that you should go. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Robert wondered. "What?"

"I'm sorry—" their entire history flashed before her eyes and she cried, because it wouldn't go away. It just wouldn't go away!

"Anna." Robert's hands were on either side of her face, stroking tears away.

"I'm sorry you ever met me, please just—"

"Shhh …hush." She kept crying, but he dropped his forehead to hers and kept moving his thumbs across her cheeks. Then, he started kissing them as they fell. It was so tender and sweet, and so like him when they were married and she knew that he loved her beyond all reason.

"No…" She did have enough presence of mind to know that this would be a mistake, not with what she thought she would have to do. So she tried to push him away. "We can't, we…"

Robert shook his head, his eyes were blazing. "Don't say that. Stop telling me what I should feel, everyone needs to stop!"

"But that's it, isn't it?" Anna lifted her hands and dropped them to her sides with a smack. "It can't. There's no rest. And if you don't stay away from me while I take care of this, then—"

He silenced her with a kiss that enveloped all the words she could have said and all the words she couldn't. He already knew what was between them and nothing about speaking them could have made it more true. Her mouth latched onto his desperately, inhaling the forbidden thing that they felt and remembered. Unlike all the other kisses, it was in the open now. How could she have forgotten and put away what they had felt?

She couldn't even breathe when he pulled slightly away, and his eyes were still flaming and light. "I love you." He said the truth. "I'm in love with you."

She let out a sob, but he had probably known this would upset her and he took the risk anyway. "I'm sorry, but I can't pretend about this anymore." His lips were still lowered and near-touching hers. "I can't not say it anymore…"

"I wish you didn't." That was all Anna could think to say, but they both put their hands on her dress and somehow, they started unbuttoning it together, hurriedly.

God, she shouldn't do this! But she felt that she would die if she didn't.

If she had imagined making love to Robert again, she would have never thought in a million years that it would be like this: furious and teenaged and unleashing. Nothing felt different than it had thirteen years ago, when they were young enough to excuse the passion. She was losing her mind…

Stumbling, casting aside clothes, she let him walk her backward to the bed. The hard planes of his chest were rougher than before and she heard his breath heavy in her ear, his face leaning against hers as he pushed her back onto the mattress and shifted her up against the pillows.

There was no question what was about to occur. Robin wasn't home, oh God, where was Robin?! If Robin had been here, this wouldn't be happening. Anna ripped Robert's belt from his waist, pulling and shedding until there was nothing left that could separate them.

He was above her and the moment slowed to a halt, their breathing the only sign that life hadn't paused. His eyes were still blue fire, and his kiss was so reverent, so lovely, that it brought the tears back to her eyes.

"Don't cry, darling," he murmured, sweeping the hair out of her face and tracing it lovingly. "Don't cry." But as quickly as the world had stopped, it began again as untamed as before.

She buried her face against the side of his neck as they moved in synch, as natural as it seemed to be from the beginning. As natural as it had been on their wedding night. Or in France, when it felt like the very last time.

"I love you," she promised him. "Know that I love you …so much."

"I know," he groaned, taking her hand and twining their fingers. "God, I love you!"

He kissed her fingers when it was over and wrapped her in his arms. She felt so loved and protected and safe

He slept soundly with her, and she was sure that it was the first time in so long that he had. While he dreamed, she let her hand draw the stress away from the lines of his forehead and his jaw. What she had brought on him, she wanted so badly to take away. But she couldn't.

"Anna. It's not a matter of what you want. It's a matter of what you must do."

When the next tears fell, Robert didn't kiss them away. They lingered down her cheeks and dropped on his tanned shoulder. He slept on, trusting her on an impossible level.

A/N: Okay, so this chapter may be important in a couple ways, not just emotional lol. So they did the thing and it's gets messier for it. Let me know what you thought!